Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper feed apparatus and an image forming apparatus, and more specifically, a paper feed apparatus and an image forming apparatus, which separates paper placed in a paper placing tray one by one and feeds the paper.
Description of the Related Art
An example of a related art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laying-open No. 2007-197171 [B65H 3/52] laid-open on Aug. 9, 2007 (Literature 1). A paper feed apparatus of Literature 1 is mounted with a sheet member separation apparatus comprising a paper feeding roller that feeds a sheet member, a holding arm (support member) having a friction pad (separating member) that separates the sheet member and a base member that is a base portion. This sheet member separation apparatus comprises a rotation holding portion that is constituted with a rotation shaft having a concentric cross-section that is tapered toward a shaft end portion and a concave rotation bearing portion that has a concentric cross-section that is tapered toward an inner portion and is to be fit to the rotation shaft. Then, the holding arm having the friction pad is sandwiched with pressure by this rotation holding portion.
In the structure that suppresses a minute vibration of the separating member (and support member) by sandwiching the support member of the separation member with pressured, it is necessary to make a pressure-sandwiching force by the rotation holding portion large to appropriately suppress the minute vibration of the separating member. However, since the rotation holding portion needs to hold the support member free rotation, there is a limit in enlarging the pressure-sandwiching force. Therefore, suppression of the minute vibration becomes insufficient with the technology of Literature 1, and therefore, there is a possibility the minute vibration of the separating member and a sound (vibration sound) accompanying the minute vibration cannot be adequately suppressed. Especially, since a frictional resistance becomes high when the paper feeding roller and the separating member rub directly in a state where there is no paper at the time of paper feeding, the minute vibration of the separating member is increased and a possibility that the sound may occur also becomes high.